FAIRBANKS, AK – In a chilling scene that has rattled a close-knit Alaska community, a 29-year-old man stands accused of fatally shooting his wheelchair-bound grandmother, a crime that police describe as both deliberate and devoid of mercy.
Authorities say Brian Davenport was arrested Tuesday and charged with first-degree murder after his 87-year-old grandmother, Velma Koontz, was discovered dead inside her Fairbanks home. The violent act, investigators allege, was carried out with a handgun belonging to Koontz’s husband—Davenport’s grandfather—while she sat defenseless in her wheelchair.
First responders were summoned to the residence on the 1000 block of 22nd Avenue around 3:45 p.m. following a 911 call that reported a woman had been found dead. Koontz’s husband, who made the distressing call, told police he returned from an errand to find his firearm outside and his wife inside, lifeless. Authorities quickly determined Koontz had suffered a gunshot wound to the back of the head.
Detectives wasted no time in their investigation, zeroing in on Davenport, who was at the home when officers arrived. According to police, Davenport did not hesitate to confess his role in the killing, telling officers upon initial contact, “I killed someone.”
During a subsequent interview at police headquarters, Davenport reportedly admitted to stealing his grandfather’s handgun and carrying out the shooting. Investigators say he revealed a chilling shift in his intentions—while he originally planned to target someone else, he ultimately turned the weapon on his grandmother. At one point, Davenport compared his actions to “pulling the plug,” acknowledging he knew it was wrong but suggesting he saw it as releasing his grandmother from suffering.
Court documents reveal further unsettling details. Shortly before the body was found, Davenport placed an unusual call to 911, providing only an address and refusing to answer follow-up questions. Just moments later, officers encountered Davenport wandering erratically by the side of a Fairbanks road, his behavior reportedly so careless that authorities brought him to a hospital out of concern for his safety.
It was while he was at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital that news of Koontz’s death reached police. When questioned about the murder, Davenport openly admitted his involvement, investigators say. He explained his motive by saying he wanted his grandmother’s passing to be “peaceful” and claimed he did not want her to worry about her legacy.
Koontz’s declining health may have played a role in the tragedy. Records indicate she was receiving hospice care following a cancer diagnosis.
Davenport was transported to the Fairbanks Correctional Center and is being held on a $5 million bond. He appeared in court for arraignment Wednesday and is expected to return for a preliminary hearing next week.
As the community processes the disturbing events, court proceedings continue while questions linger about what drove a grandson to such a harrowing act. Authorities confirmed that Davenport is being represented by the Public Defender Agency, but legal representatives have not commented on the case.